All About Pocket Knives

I have a customer who wants a Revolutionary War style knife for reenactment costume purposes. Don't seem to find much about the subject on the net or my local library. I would like to know where I can find just what these pre Bowie knives were shaped like. I'm sure that the sheaths were mostly Indian style with fringe and or bead work but other than that I haven't a clue. Any help out there?
Thx
Mike Penn

The best resource I can think of offhand is Chuck Burrows website, Wild Rose Trading Company aka WRTC. He is a Master Leather Crafter making period Museum Quality pieces covering 1740 to 1920. His work is all hand made just as they would have done it 200 years ago.

Enjoy the site - I love his site! I just look in when I feel like drooling.

http://www.wrtcleather.com/index.html

Chuck has 2 DVD's out, one for sheaths and the other for holsters. He does not copy old museum work but uses the techniques and materials from that time frame to create his own master pieces. I'd love to see him make DVD for working with rawhide and babiche which is rawhide thongs or lacings, used for tying or weaving.

There are some nice pictures of knives Chuck and others have made along with the leather sheaths. Also some great looking Tomahawks.

I do have information on how to antique a blade using Birchwood Casey Super Blue and Clorox and how to make Tiger Curl Maple really pop out at you using Muriatic acid. Yes, both of these methods were from Chuck Burrows and that's how he makes his new knives look old. Ferric Nitrate (aqua fortis) can also be used to make the curl stand out on Maple and age Osage Orange.

Sorry for the long post - Chuck is just a walking Museum/Resource dating back to ancient Egypt.

The site is PERFECT! Just what I think my customer needs. Unfortunately, most want to carry something that looks like a Bowie even though it is not authentic for the time. Kind of silly that people want to be perfectly authentic but the romance of a "BOWIE" is unescapeable. Also funny that Mr Bowie used a kitchen knife for his first and most memorable encounter on the famous sand bar. It wasn't until several years later that he acquired a knife that has the famous Bowie look, which is also kind of vague. Contemporary versions vary greatly as to the source of his knife and its dimensions.
thx again
mike penn

Mike,
If you are looking for something authentic to the time period as far as the knife itself is concerned, might I suggest you contact the National Knife Museum curator and see if he can advise you on a design that would be historically accurate.

Phil

pmike5869:
Please keep in mind that the following is only my opinion.
Unless his reenactment garb is of a very high ranking officer, I believe it would have been very doubtful if any cutlery at all were carried, if any it would have more than likely have been a style of butchers knife. Commonly referred to as a trade knife such as you see the Indians depicted with. The Dag, The Scalper, The Skinner etc.
He might possibly have been lucky enough to obtain a bayonet were he in a rifle battalion, Brigade, company or whatever it might be called. Professionally made knives were cost prohibitive for the normal soldier to own. Again, only my opinion.
moss

Hukk Any chance you could fill us in on the aging process you spoke of using birchwood casey super blue and bleach.

Yes, here is a link from Knifenetwork.com that a forum member posted It was instructions that he received from Chuck Burrows. http://knifenetwork.com/forum/showthrea ... ging+steel

This works with Carbon Steels and O-1, I have not tried it with A2 or D2-yet. This is what I used but it comes from someone else (Chuck) and there is a nice picture of a knife that has been aged using this process. Several folks use it.

I don't know if you have to join to see it, but it goes as follows. He wipes down the blade with Birchwood Casey Super Blue (not Perma Blue). Rub with steel wool while still wet and dunk in straight Clorox bleach. He used a Pyrex casserole dish for the bleach - probably best to use something like that cause it's easy to clean and it's best to use a non metal container for the bleach. It will start growing rust almost immediately The longer you leave it the more pitted and aged it will be when done. Pull it out of the Clorox and it'll look like a rusted nightmare. Next dunk it in boiling water for only a minute and then use steel wool or Scotchbright pad to get the fuzzy rust off leaving a dark pitted patina. Apply a coat of oil and you are ready to put handles on.

Thanks Hukk I have one fixed blade I will try this on.I am really starting to like old trade knives,love the look of the old weathered wood handled fixed blades.Thanks again